Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 13th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

For the final question, I call Theresa Villiers.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

Given the appalling reports of sexual violence committed by Hamas on 7 October and the risk that hostages could have that treatment inflicted on them as well, will the Prime Minister raise this issue in international forums so that the international community demands, strongly, humanitarian access to hostages in Gaza?

Police Stations

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Monday 10th July 2023 Commons Chamber

[Theresa Villiers]

I will.

[Mr Speaker]

I thought you would at least allow the right hon. Member to get under way. I call Jim Shannon.

[Mr Speaker]

I am sure that the right hon. Member, if given time, would have got to that.

[Theresa Villiers]

I absolutely agree that community policing is vital. As I will explore in my speech, the presence of police stations is an important part of keeping policing close to communities. If we shut them down or retreat into a handful of buildings around the capital, we make it more difficult to deliver genuine community policing. Closing Barnet police station altogether and selling it off for redevelopment would leave officers with nowhere at all in my constituency from which to operate. That would be disastrous, not least because it could mean ward officers having to undertake long and complex journeys to and from the only remaining police station in the borough, which is in Colindale.

At engagement meetings linked with the 2017 closure announcements, I remember City Hall representatives indicating that one of the reasons police stations were now less important was that officers would be given iPads for processing paperwork, which they could use anywhere. Frankly, it is wholly unrealistic to expect a police officer sitting in Starbucks with an iPad to be an adequate substitute for a functioning police station. Apart from the noted reliability problems with many such devices issued by the Metropolitan police, that approach would violate confidentiality and data protection obligations. There is also the concern that a number of the Met’s IT upgrade programmes have yet to be fully delivered, as highlighted in the Casey report. Moreover, officers would undoubtedly be approached by members of the public, making it harder for them to focus on the work they need to do. Their office time would inevitably become advice surgery time.

In February last year, I secured a promise from Sophie Linden, the deputy mayor for policing, that Barnet police station’s building would not be disposed of until a base was found for ward police teams that enabled them to reach their areas in 20 minutes by walking or cycling. That was of course welcome, and it amounted to a partial reprieve for the station, but it is not an adequate substitute for a properly functioning police station.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Monday 27th February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I call Theresa Villiers.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

15. What steps she is taking to improve access to affordable childcare.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 13th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We’ll miss the bus at this rate.

[Theresa Villiers]

Will the Minister acknowledge that there are sometimes problems with important transport links that run between destinations in different transport authority areas? Will she seek to address that, and will she talk to Hertfordshire County Council and Transport for London about restoring the 84 bus route between Chipping Barnet, Hadley and Potters Bar?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Tuesday 6th September 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Theresa Villiers; come on.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

11. What recent steps she has taken to support a negotiated settlement to reunite Cyprus.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 31st March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call Chris Stephens. Not here.

[Theresa Villiers]

Will the Government make progress on the TIGRR recommendation to replace the EU clinical trials directive with a new modern framework to ensure that people can access life-saving treatments quickly and that our world-leading medical research sector can thrive?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 26th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Come on, we have to get through these questions. I call Theresa Villiers.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

The Northern Ireland protocol is clearly causing political instability. Will the Secretary of State agree that it needs replacing, not just a few amendments?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Thursday 11th February 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Last but certainly not least, I call Theresa Villiers.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

  Thank you, Mr Speaker. The arrogance and intransigence expressed in Commissioner Šefčovič’s letter to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has caused many of us to conclude that the EU’s professed concern for Northern Ireland was only ever a disguise for its cynical negotiating objectives. Will my right hon. Friend take a tough approach with the EU on fixing the immediate problems of the protocol, but also develop a replacement so that we can remove it altogether in future?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 6th May 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

And hopefully in the future such statements will be made to the House first.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

Lockdown rules permit people to travel to work if their jobs cannot be done from home, but some have faced criticism and pressure not to do so, including from announcements on London Underground wrongly saying that they should not be on the system unless they are key workers. Will the Prime Minister ask the Mayor to restore public transport capacity in London so that my constituents can travel safely and we can keep as much of the economy going as possible?

Business of the House

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Wednesday 25th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I expect to run this statement until about 1.30 pm.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

I completely understand the need to send Parliament off for recess early, but huge questions are yet to be resolved, such as ensuring that all NHS and social care workers have access to the highest quality PPE that is consistent with international standards, or the massive increase in testing that we need, and have been promised. Like many other hon. Members, I have constituents who are stranded around the world in places such as Peru. I urge the Leader of the House to ensure that the Government live up to their promises on all those matters, keep our NHS and social care workers safe, and bring home those who are stranded abroad at this difficult time.

Bus Services Bill [Lords]

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

2nd reading: House of Commons
Wednesday 1st March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Villiers]

No, I am just concluding my speech.

Reverting to the Bill’s original drafting would not deal with all the issues that I have highlighted today, but it would certainly mitigate the problems caused and the uncertainty that is likely to damage the interests of passengers by undermining the viability of bus operations and investment in those services. I therefore very much welcome the intention expressed by the Secretary of State to amend clause 4 as it stands, and I give the Government my support in their endeavour. As the Bill progresses, I hope that they will consider going a step further and remove clause 4 altogether.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

I now have to announce the result of a Division deferred from a previous day. On the motion relating to unaccompanied children in Greece and Italy, the Ayes were 254 and the Noes were 1, so the Question was agreed to.

[The Division list is published at the end of today’s debates.]

Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Bill (Allocation of Time)

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Lindsay Hoyle

Monday 23rd November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Villiers]

I am afraid the hon. Lady will have to ask—

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. This debate is on the allocation of time motion and we have Second Reading to come, so it might be helpful if we can try and stick to one point before we move on to the next.